Fiber railway signal-torpedo.



F.- DUTCHERQ FIBER RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, I916.

1,24,663. Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

FRANKBUTCHER;yOFVERSAILLES, r nvNsrLvA vIA, assienoa 'TojcENraaL RAIL- WAY?SIG1\TAL COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, ACQBPORATION or NEW J unsnrf b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUToHER,"a citizen of the United States, residin g at ,Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fiber Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, reference "being had therein to the accompanying drawing.-

My invention relates to improvements in a fiber railway signal torpedo-, which has'its case composed of paper or other fibrousmaterial to produce a non-flying torpedo.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide a fiber torpedo case composed of an inner and outer fiber case and an improved manner of attaching the railengaging member to the outer case.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved torpedo.

Fig. 2 is a section taken transverse the outer case with the inner case and rail-engaging member shown in full lines.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a cylindrical fiber tube out of which the inner tube is constructed.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner of threading the rail-engaging member through the outer case.

Fig. 5 is a slight modification as to the location of the rail-engaging strap in the outer case. a

Fig. 6 is a perspective view explosive containing case.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 is an outer tubularv fiber case of a flattened rectangular form with open ends 2, and 3 is an inner fiber case composed of a flattened tube. The inner explosive containing case?) is formed from a tube l, and this tube is preferably first formed from a sheet cylindrically formed, as shown in Fig. 3. This cylindrical tube is afterward flattened and the explosive (not shown) placed in the center thereof, and the ends of the tube, extend of the inner beyond the explosive and are flattened and doubled back under the explosive, as shown in Fig. 6. The outer tubular case 1, as shown, incloses the inner case and serves to hold the flattened and doubled ends 5 in their folded positions. By providing the explosive containing case with the extended flattened and doubled back ends 5, a water-tight Specificationof Letters Patent Y Aiiplication filedflpril 4, 1916'; s'riai No. 88,766.-

" FIBER RAILWAY SIGNAL=TORPEDQ closure is formed for .the explosive within the "case 3.

No claim is made herein for'the form of the inner explosive containing case andthe iiiclosing of it by the outer case, as'this is madefthe subject matter iof-a 'copending ap'- plication and need not be further described herein, so'far as the present invention is concerned.

My present improvement relates to the manner of applying the rail-engaging mem ber to'the outer case.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the rail-engaging member 6 is composed of a spring, while in Figs. 4

and 5, the rail-engaging member 7 is a lead strap.

In carrying out the present improvement, the outer tube 1 is provided with openings 8, through which the rail-engaging member is passed. In applying this rail-engaging member, the outer case 1 is flattened as shown in Fig. 4, at a point centrally between the openings 8, which bring these openings in alinement and the rail-engaging member is then threaded through these openings as shown in Fig. 4, whether the member be of a spring strap or a lead strap. After the strap is threaded through these openings, the tube is flattened at right angles to that shown in Fig. 4, which brings it into the shape shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, with the strap in position andready to have the inner explosive containing case placed therein, as shown. I

When a spring strap 6 is used, it may be provided with the kinks 9, which will hold Patented o t. 9.191 7.

the strap against endwise movement, the said is the subject-matter of my Patent No.

1,009,139, dated November 21st 1911.

In Fig.5 the outer case 1 has its rail-engaging strap openings 8 so located as to be at the sides of the case substantially instead of in its bottom between its sides as shown in Figs. 4c and 5.

By constructing the outer case of a collapsible fiber member with the strap opene ings 8 located to register when the tube is collapsed, a convenient manner of attaching the rail-engaging member to the outer case is provided which obviates what has hereg neaaees tofore been a difficult problem, viz., the threading of a rail-engaging strap through openings in a torpedo case. It enables the rail-engaging strap to be very quickly attached to the torpedo and whenattached an intermediate portion thereof lies between the inner and outer case and serves to look it in position.

, Having thus described my invent-ion, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of making a fiber torpedo consisting in providing a collapsible fiber tube having perforations, arranging the said perforations whereby they will register when the tube is collapsed, collapsing the tube, passing a rail engaging member through the registering perforations, restoring the collapsedcase to tube itorin and inserting an explosive containing case within the tube. I

tions restoring the collapsed case to tube form and inserting an explosive containing case within the tube thereby situating an ini termediate portion of the rail engaging member between the explosive containing ease and the tube.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK DUTCHER. Witnesses R. W. JUNxnR, I G. M. LEONARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five' cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, 1). G. 

